His Gift
by belasgrl
Summary: Finished. Alternate universe where Mr. Peabody fosters a teenage girl instead of adopting Sherman. Rated T for violent themes.
1. Chapter 1

Mr. Peabody stepped inside his penthouse. As he went in, he said, "Here we are."

Standing behind him was a thirteen year-old girl. She was dressed in a black hoodie with faded blue jeans. Her black hair was down and had become slightly messy from the wind that blew outside. She said nothing as looked down at the floor, not paying much attention to her surroundings. She said nothing and stood in one spot close to the entrance.

The canine motioned her to come further inside the apartment. "Come in! Make yourself at home!" He smiled at her. She didn't smile back, but she stepped inside the room further.

"Well, now that we're here, why don't I give you a tour of the home? You can go in any room you want except for my room, of course."

Finally, they came to the last room. As Mr. Peabody opened the door, he said, "And this is your room. I hope you like it." It was spacious for a teenager's bedroom. There was a queen-sized bed with the headboard against the wall to their right. It was neatly made, with three purple pillows against the headboard and a purple comforter covering the bed. There were two sleek, black nightstands on both sides of the bed, with a lamp on the right one. To the right of the door was a big, red dresser, and to the left of the door was a huge closet. A big, wooden vanity with a circular mirror attached stood a few feet from the foot of the bed, and a bunch of wide shelves were attached to the wall of the left of the room. There was a window that took up almost the whole wall that was across from Mr. Peabody and Josephine.

Josephine didn't show any emotion, but she stated, quietly, "It's nice."

At this, Mr. Peabody beamed. "I'm so glad you think so! Now, make yourself comfortable while I make us some lunch. What would you like?"

"Anything is fine."

"You must have a favorite food. I'm a great chef, if I do say so, myself. I can cook anything."

"Whatever you have is okay."

"Alright. How about some spaghetti with meatballs and garlic bread and salad, and for dessert, Baked Alaska?"

"That sounds okay."

"Wonderful! Why don't you make yourself at home while I get started?"

Josephine went to the living room and sat on the couch. Mr. Peabody called from the kitchen, "If you want to, you can watch television. The remote is on the coffee table."

Later, Mr. Peabody came walked into the living room. "Dinner is ready." He frowned, slightly, when he saw the teenage girl looking down at the floor, arms crossed. The TV was off. She hadn't touched the remote. She hadn't touched anything. She got up and followed him to the dining room, where food was set out on the table. "Help yourself," he said.

Josephine carefully dished out a little spaghetti and a small amount of salad and a piece of garlic bread. Once she served herself, Mr. Peabody dished out food for himself. They were quiet for a few moments until Mr. Peabody attempted to make conversation. Josephine mostly responded with one-word sentences or nodded or shook her head. When she finished the food on her plate, Mr. Peabody asked, "Would you like some more?"

"No, thank you," she replied.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Okay. The Baked Alaska will be done in a little while. You can go back to the living room, if you want to, while I do the dishes in the dishwasher. It won't take me very long."

Josephine left the room and went back to the living room and sat on the couch again. After doing the dishes, Mr. Peabody came into the living room. He sat in a chair and said, "We've had a big day."

"Yeah."

"I'm so happy you're here! It feels like I've been waiting for ages for you! If there's anything you need, you can ask me. I'll do my best to accommodate you."

"Okay."

Mr. Peabody talked a great length, pausing often to give his foster daughter chances to speak, but she barely said anything. After a while, he got up and said, "I think the dessert is ready."

He got up and went into the kitchen and asked, "How many pieces do you want?"

"One. A small one, please."

Josephine sat down at the table, and Mr. Peabody handed a plate with a piece of Baked Alaska on it. Then he set his plate down at his place at the table, and sat down. They ate while Mr. Peabody talked some more, encouraging her to talk, as well, but he didn't try to force her to.

Later, after they were finished eating, Mr. Peabody asked, "How was it?"

"It was good. Thank you."

She turned and sat on the couch in the living room once again while Mr. Peabody sat in a chair. He talked more, and then, he turned on the TV. He handed her the remote. "We can watch anything you like, as long as it's appropriate."

Josephine slowly took the remote and flipped through the channels until she stopped at one of the news channels. She set the remote back on the coffee table. "The news? Alright," Mr. Peabody said. When commercials came on, he would try to discuss what had been shown, throwing in random facts about each country here and there. The thirteen year-old seemed to not pay much attention but did nod from time to time.

Later, Mr. Peabody stood up and yawned. "I think it's time for bed. We have a big day tomorrow. Would you like to go shopping? I know you would like some new clothing and things for your room. We can spend the whole day together. Doesn't that sound wonderful?"

"I guess," Josephine replied, quickly.

"Good! Well, good night. I'll see you in the morning. Sleep well." He smiled at her, but she simply walked past him and went into her room.

Mr. Peabody sighed. He knew fostering a teenager wasn't going to be easy, but with all that he had accomplished in his life so far, he was sure he would be a good parent. He just had to give her time to warm up to him. He wasn't going to rush her.

After looking at Josephine's bedroom door for a few moments, Mr. Peabody walked into his room to go to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning at 8:00, Joey heard a knock at her bedroom door. She woke with a start, since she was a light sleeper. She looked around and remembered where she was. It was strange to be in such a fancy bedroom, in a big, very comfortable bed.

There was another knock, and she heard Mr. Peabody's slightly muffled voice say, "Josephine? Wake up. It's time for breakfast."

She got dressed in the clothes she wore the day before and came out of her room. Mr. Peabody was standing a couple of feet away from the door. He smiled. "Good morning!" he exclaimed, cheerfully. "How did you sleep?"

Josephine rubbed her eyes and replied, drowsily, "Fine."

"Glad to hear it. Come on. I've got breakfast cooked." They went into the dining room, and Mr. Peabody asked, "I hope you like pancakes and fruit."

The teenager just nodded.

They sat down at the table, and they started eating. Josephine ate, slowly, mostly moving the food around with her fork. Mr. Peabody noticed her actions and asked, "What's the matter, Josephine?"

Not looking up, she replied, "Nothing. I don't get very hungry in the morning."

"Oh, well, don't eat too much if it upsets your stomach."

After breakfast, Mr. Peabody said, "You can take a bath or a shower before we leave. I got you all kinds of body washes and shampoo. Use whatever you want."

"I'll try to hurry."

"There's no rush. Take all the time you need."

Joey went into the bathroom and looked at all of the soaps and hair care products that Mr. Peabody had bought for her. She had never had so many choices of what bath and shower things to use.

After taking a hot bubble bath, Joey got dressed and left the bathroom. When she got into the living room, she saw that Mr. Peabody was on the couch, reading a book. He put the book down and stood up when he saw her enter the room. "Hello. Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah."

"Put your shoes on, and we'll leave."

Soon, they were in the elevator and then outside. Joey looked for a vehicle but saw nothing but a red motorcycle and side car. "So, are we going to walk, or..."

Mr. Peabody got on the motorcycle and put a helmet on. Then, he handed one to her. "Hop in."

"I'm not sure about this," Joey said, nervously.

"It's alright. We won't be in any danger. I'm a good driver."

"Yeah, but...I've never ridden in one of these."

"I know it must be nerve-wracking, but I promise that I'm careful."

Joey turned away from him and shook her head, quickly. "No! I won't go!"

Mr. Peabody was startled by her sudden outburst. This was the first time that she had ever shown him any emotion. He got off the motorcycle and walked to her. He said, gently, "Alright, we don't have to ride the motorcycle. We can take a taxi. It's not a problem." He took off his helmet and put it back.

Soon, they were riding in a cab and stopped at a clothing store. When they went inside, Mr. Peabody said, "Go ahead and look around. Choose anything you like."

Joey silently looked through the clothes that were her size. All of them were so expensive, and she wasn't used to buying or receiving such clothing. She tried on a few things and ended up picking up a pair of jeans and a shirt. She brought the items to Mr. Peabody. He frowned. "Just those two? You can get more, if you like."

The girl looked away, uncomfortably. "Um, yeah. Just these."

"Do you need help looking? I'm not really an expert on girls' clothing, but we can ask for help from one of the employees."

"It's...not that."

"What is it?"

"Nothing."

She started going to the cashier, but Mr. Peabody said, "What's wrong? You don't have to get clothes here. There are plenty of other stores. I'm in no hurry; we have the whole day."

"There's nothing wrong; I just don't want that many."

Reluctantly, Mr. Peabody left it at that and paid for the clothes. When they walked out of the store, he said, "I have an idea. Do you want to go to the mall? There's one close by. I'm positive you will find a lot of things there."

"Sure."

The mall they went to was huge with dozens of stores and a good number of clothing stores. They went in almost all of them, but Joey only got a few things here and there. They went into stores that sold accessories and movies and almost anything they could imagine, but she still didn't get much.

They passed a store that sold Gothic-like clothing and accessories and music. Joey seemed interested in it, but tried not to show it. Mr. Peabody probably wouldn't let her go in; he didn't seem to be the kind of being that would approve of that kind of stuff. She was torn between wanting to look around the store and not wanting to make Mr. Peabody angry. Finally, she made a decision and decided to go into the store on her own. Mr. Peabody called her name and followed her. By the time he caught up to her, she was already looking at some shirts. "Josephine, why did you do that?"

"I'm not leaving."

Mr. Peabody looked around and grunted. "Why do you want to be in this store?"

"It's more my style."

The canine paused and sighed. "Alright. Just don't get anything inappropriate. At least you can't wear any of this in school."

Joey took interest in a lot of merchandise that was there, and she chose quite a few things and took her time browsing. Finally, when she was done, after Mr. Peabody checked to make sure all of the things she picked were decent, he paid for them. "At least she seems happier," he thought.

Later, they stopped at the food court for lunch. "I don't usually eat food like this, but this is a special occasion. What would you like?"

"Is it okay if I have some sushi?" Joey asked, hesitantly.

"Of course. It's been a while since I've eaten sushi. In fact, I think I'll have some, as well."

They waited in line and finally got their food, then sat down at a table nearby. "Are you having fun?" Mr. Peabody asked.

"Yes. Thank you."

"You're very welcome. I bet you like shopping quite a bit."

"It's not really a hobby."

"It is good to get out and buy things for yourself from time to time. I'm glad you're enjoying the outing."

After they finished their lunch, they went to other stores, but Josephine didn't seem interested in any of them, which Mr. Peabody found odd. He didn't say anything to Joey about it, however. He did manage to find a couple of things for himself, but most of what he bought was for Joey.

At 3:00, Mr. Peabody and Joey left the mall. As they waited for a cab, the canine saw a newspaper vending machine. On the the front page was a picture of him and Joey and an article about him fostering her. He paid for a copy of the newspaper. He showed Joey the picture and said, "Look, we made the main headline!"

Joey turned her head away. "Yeah," she simply stated.

Before he could say any more, a few people came up to them and started talking to them, all at once. It seemed that they were both famous, now. The people started asking them questions, and soon, a crowd formed. Mr. Peabody tried to answer and interact with all of them. As everyone was talking, Joey dropped the bags she was carrying and ran away from the crowd. Mr. Peabody saw her running and called after her, but she didn't turn around or even acknowledge him. He excused himself and ran after her, though, now, she was gone. He didn't know what direction she took, and he started to panic. "No, get a hold of yourself, Peabody," he said to himself. "You'll find her. Just think. Think!...Oh dear." He started calling out her name and running through the city. His heart pounded in his chest, but he had to avoid thinking that something bad would happen to her. He could only have one thing on his mind: finding her.


	3. Chapter 3

It was beginning to get dark. Mr. Peabody had desperately been searching for Joey for what seemed like forever. He had frantically asked everyone he met if they saw her and gave each of them her description. Some had answsered that they had, and Mr. Peabody followed the directions that they said Joey had taken. Although he felt like he was somewhat on the right track, he couldn't help feeling more lost than ever.

Finally, Mr. Peabody stopped and rested against a brick building. He was out of breath and worn out. His heart was pounding from both the running and the fear that had almost taken over him. He tried to tell himself to stay calm and focused, but he was in despair. He attempted to avoid thinking of the worst.

Once he caught his breath, Mr. Peabody began walking again to continue his search.

Suddenly, he heard a sound coming from the alley that was next to the building that he had previously rested against. Curiously, he walked down the alley and saw a big, dark lump. He was about to dismiss it and continue his search, but then the lump made a sound. Was it...crying?

Cautiously, Mr. Peabody approached it. "Hello?" he asked, not even sure he would get a reply.

All of a sudden, a head raised up and looked at him, shocked. Mr. Peabody gasped.

"Josephine!"

He quickly put his arms around her and almost cried. "I was so worried about you! I've been looking all over the city! I-"

Suddenly, Joey violently shoved him away.

Mr. Peabody took a step back, trying to keep his balance. Then, he gaped at her. He had not expected her to be so aggressive. He didn't know what to think or what to say.

"Leave me alone!" Joey exclaimed.

"Josephine, why?"

She didn't answer.

Trying to recover from the shock, Mr. Peabody said, "Come on. Let's go home."

Surprisingly, Joey stood up. They went back to the penthouse in a cab.

"Tell me why you ran off," Mr Peabody said after they ate dinner.

Joey sat on the couch, wrapped up in a blanket, avoiding eye contact with him. She didn't reply.

"Josephine, tell me!" he tried to keep calm, but it was hard for him to at that moment. "Was it because of the shopping? Did we do too much in one day? You need to tell me what made you want to run off."

Joey sighed. He wouldn't leave her alone about it unless she answered. "It was the crowd. There were too many people around us, talking at once. It made me feel..." She couldn't find the word that described how she had felt.

Mr. Peabody sighed. "So, you ran away from me?"

"I couldn't handle it."

"Please, don't do that again," Mr. Peabody said, sternly. "And, I don't approve of violence."

"Whatever," Joey said, quietly.

"What? Listen to me. I expect you to show respect. I will do the same for you, if you do the same for me. While you're here, you are expected to follow the rules I've set. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Good...Go to bed, Josephine. It's been a long day."

Joey got up and went into her bedroom.

Mr. Peabody tried to go to sleep, but he couldn't. The memories of the events that had happened that day played in his mind over and over. He knew that some people didn't feel comfortable in crowds, but he never heard of someone running away from them. He had been scared about the possible things that could have happened to her, even though he didn't want to imagine them. And the way she pushed him...

Then, he thought about how he reacted earlier, how he spoke to her. Of course, her behavior had been intolerable, but he wondered if he had been too hard on her. Perhaps not, but even still, he wanted to let her know that he cared."

He got up out of bed and left his bedroom and knocked on Joey's door. When there was no answer even after he said her name, he went in. Joey was laying in her bed under the covers, seemingly asleep. "Josephine?" he asked.

Joey sat up and asked, "What?"

"About what I said earlier...I don't want you to think that I dislike you. I really was worried, and my feelings came out in the form of anger. I'm sorry I was so harsh, and I'm sorry about what happened today."

"I'm...sorry, too," Joey said.

"Given the circumstances, I'm sure there will be a lot of people who will ask us questions and make comments to us about our situation, but, since I now know you are strongly overwhelmed by crowds, I will try to prevent you from being in them."

"Thanks."

"Just promise me that you won't run away again, and that you will not be violent."

She was silent.

"Josephine?"

"I hate making promises."

"I need you to do that for me, though. I need to know that you'll be safe and that you'll control your aggressiveness."

Joey paused, then stated, "I'll try to keep that promise."

"Good enough," Mr. Peabody thought. He couldn't expect change overnight. He said good night to her, and she said the same to him. Hopefully, they would both get some sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

School started two weeks after that incident. Every weekday, especially on the first day of school, Mr. Peabody fussed and always asked her if she had everything. "Notebooks?"

"Yes."

"Pencils and pens?"

"Yes."

"Highlighters?"

"Yes," Joey would always respond, beginning to get annoyed.

"Homework?"

"I've got everything."

"Very well. Here's your lunch. Let's go."

Since Joey still refused to get in the sidecar of the motorcycle, both she and Mr. Peabody would take a cab to her school.

Joey was sent to one of the best private schools in the city. All of the students were required to wear blue and black uniforms. Joey didn't seem to care one way or another about the dress code, but Mr. Peabody took extra care of her clothes, making sure they had no wrinkles or tears. Joey would just roll her eyes when he was being overly particular about anything.

After Mr. Peabody would pick Joey up every day, he always asked how her day went, and she always replied, "Fine." At home, he would try to help her with her homework (when she would let him). One day, especially, when Joey sat at the dining room table doing her homework, Mr. Peabody noticed that she was getting upset. "What's the matter, Josephine?"

"Nothing," she replied, trying to hide her feelings.

The canine sat in a chair next to her and said, "Here, let me help. What are you working on?"

Joey ignored him and kept trying to make progress, but she couldn't. Finally, she got up and slammed her chair against the table. Mr. Peabody jumped. "It's this damn math! I HATE math! I'm not good at it!"

"Josephine, it's alright," Mr. Peabody said, gently, trying to calm her. "I can help you. We can do this together."

Joey exploded, as if anger had been bottled up inside her. "Yeah, because you're such a freakin' know-it-all! You think you know everything about everything! Why don't you leave me alone?! I've got to go to school for 8 hours, then have to listen to you for the rest of the day! Just stop!" She stormed off into her bedroom.

Mr. Peabody, trying to get over his shock, became worried. It was obvious that she was overwhelmed. She needed time to herself. And her statement about him being a know-it-all...Was he being too forceful when he tried to teach her things? Did he seem full of himself and unknowingly put her down? Knowledge was one of the best things to have, and he wanted her to have as much of it as possible, but what if she was trying to learn too much in too short of a time? It was possible that she couldn't handle it.

Instead of trying to talk to Joey at that moment, Mr. Peabody let her stay in her room. Hopefully, she would calm down soon.

Later on that week, Mr. Peabody got a call from the school. He was told that it was about Joey and he needed to come right away. When he got to the office, the principal and the guidance counselor told him that Joey had been skipping classes and hiding in different places in the school. when the guidance counselor had found her earlier sitting down on the floor somewhere in the gym, she had refused to move or talk to the counselor.

Mr. Peabody was worried. Joey barely ever talked about anything that happened at school. He had no idea that she was skipping classes. When he heard that she was hiding, he said, "Let me go talk to her."

The guidance counselor took him to the gym, to the spot where Joey still was. The counselor left Mr. Peabody and Joey alone.

Mr. Peabody sat down beside her and said, "Josephine?"

"What?"

"What's the matter?"

She started crying. He put a hand on her shoulder, but she moved away.

"It's alright. The guidance counselor said you've been skipping classes."

"You're angry!"

"No, I'm not. I just want to know what's been going on. Has someone been bullying you?"

"No."

They were quiet for a few moments, then Joey said, "I...can't...do it."

"Can't do what?"

"I tried. I've been trying. Every single day. And I can't do it."

"Do what?"

"Anything! I try to go to class, I try to do work, I try to do stuff and I can't! Everything just grinds to a halt. I can't...make myself do anything." And she began to cry again.

Mr. Peabody sighed, thinking. Finally, he said, "Josephine, I'm going to get you help. We're going to make an appointment to see a counselor. Right now, we're going to go home."

She nodded.

They went to the office and signed out. Then, the two took a cab home.

After many sessions of therapy and visits to a psychologist, Joey was diagnosed with both Asperger's Syndrome and Bipolar Disorder. The first thing she said when they found out was, "I knew there was something wrong with me."

"Josephine, nothing is wrong with you. These diagnoses explain why you act the way you do, but you're still you." Mr. Peabody assured her.

Mr. Peabody began researching everything he could about Asperger's Syndrome and Bipolar Disorder. He read many things and shared his knowledge with Joey. She was put on two medications to help level out her mood swings and function a little better, and thankfully, she wasn't against any of the treatments. Mr. Peabody was with her every step of the way. He supported her, cared for her, and made accommodations for her. He took her to all her appointments and picked up her medications. Joey was surprised at everything he had done and kept doing. He rarely lost his temper with her and seemed to be understanding. She still wasn't completely comfortable with him or used to him, but she wasn't those things with anyone. She doubted that would change, and she didn't really want it to.


	5. Chapter 5

One quiet Saturday morning, Joey was sitting on the couch, drawing in a notebook. Mr. Peabody was sitting in a chair, reading the newspaper. He looked up and asked, "What are you doing?"

"Um...Just drawing."

"May I see?"

"I guess."

Mr. Peabody sat on the couch beside her, and she handed him the notebook and said, "It's not very good."

The canine smiled. "This is wonderful! I didn't know you liked art!"

"I try not to do it much."

"Why not? I can tell you are very talented, just by looking at this. Do you have any more?"

"Yeah, mostly just in that notebook."

Mr. Peabody carefully examined each drawing, then he said, "All of these are outstanding! I bet, if you hone your skill, you can become a master!"

"You...you really think so?"

"Of course, and I can teach you, if you want."

Joey smiled a little bit. "That would be good," she replied, softly.

Mr. Peabody energetically shared his knowledge about art with Joey each day, and she never got overwhelmed or upset when he did. They drew together, painted together, and went to art galleries and museums.

Another day, while Mr. Peabody left to get some supplies, Joey looked at the grand piano. She had been drawn to it for a long time, but she didn't dare play it because of embarassment. However, since the canine was gone, she felt free to play. She pushed some of the keys and started playing, "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star". For the most part, she did well even though she messed up a few notes.

Suddenly, Mr. Peabody came in, back from his trip. Joey immediately stopped playing and got up. "No, no," he exclaimed. "Keep playing."

"I'm not good at it at all. I can't even read music," she said, embarassed.

"Everyone has to start from somewhere," Mr. Peabody said. He sat on the piano bench and motioned for her to sit next to him. It was then that he started to teach her how to play the piano.

Art and music were the only two things Joey was passionate about, but Mr. Peabody nurtured her interests. They seemed to bond more and more each time they did something together, and Joey seemed more at ease and comfortable around him.

"Mr. Peabody?" Joey asked one night before bed.

"Yes?"

"Um, I know this is really stupid, but could you...uh..." She looked at the floor, uneasily.

"What?"

"...read me to sleep?"

"Of course. What would you like me to read?"

"Anything is okay."

"Alright. Lie down, and I'll be right there."

A little later, Mr. Peabody came into Joey's bedroom, where Joey was under the covers, waiting. He pulled up a chair and started reading. He stopped when she looked like she fell asleep. As he stood up, he whispered, "Good night, Josephine."

"Good night, Mr. Peabody," Joey said, sleepily.

Mr. Peabody paused and put the book on her nightstand. He leaned down and gently hugged her.

Joey hugged him back.

Then, he kissed her on her forehead and said, "I love you."

Suddenly, something inside Joey shattered. No one, no one had ever said those words to her. No one had ever felt that way about her. She had always been around people who teased her, belittled her, or used her to get money. No one had ever cared about her. No one had ever said those three small words to her. Ever.

Joey tried not to cry or choke on her words when she said, "I love you, too."

Mr. Peabody got up, left the room, and closed the door behind him. In the darkness, Joey was free to cry, and she cried herself to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Everything seemed to be going well. Mr. Peabody and Joey spent a lot of time together, and she was more receptive to him and every lesson he gave her, even about subjects she didn't like. She let him help her with her homework and give her advice. She even let him hug and kiss her and never avoided his touch. She was willing to ride in the side car in the motorcycle, but only after she took her time to get used to it and how loud it was, riding in it a little at a time until she was able to ride in it anywhere.

Life was almost perfect.

One night, before she went to bed, Joey gave Mr. Peabody a hug, a very long hug. Mr. Peabody was surprised, but he let her hug him for as long as she did. She said, "Goodbye."

Mr. Peabody looked confused. "What?"

She pulled away and said, "I said, good night."

Mr. Peabody said, "Oh. Well, good night."

The thirteen year-old left the living room and disappeared down the hall, going into her bedroom.

Something wasn't right. Mr. Peabody tried to focus on his reading, but he couldn't concentrate. He had a feeling that something was off. He tried to ignore it, thinking it was nothing, but the feeling only became stronger. Finally, he got up from the couch and headed to her room. "I'd hate to wake her," he thought. He went down the hallway to her room. He quietly opened the door and peaked in. He turned on the light.

Mr. Peabody gasped. She was sitting on two blankets on the floor, close to the lamp, which she had on the dimmest setting. She held a knife close to her wrist. When he had turned on the light, she suddenly looked up, and her face turned white. She didn't move the knife, however.

"Josephine," Mr. Peabody trembled, trying to sound calm even though he wanted to scream in terror. He took a step toward her, but she only put the blade closer to her skin. "Don't come any closer!" she yelled.

"Josephine, put down the knife," the canine said, trying to steady his voice.

"No!"

He was finding it hard to keep calm. He had to, though. He had to control his racing thoughts. He said, "What's wrong, Josephine? You can tell me. Please, I want to help."

"There's nothing you can do! Go away!"

"I'm not going anywhere. Please, don't do this! Let me help you!"

"I don't want you to help me, anymore."

"What do you mean?"

Joey was silent, breathing heavily, tears coming out of her eyes. Finally, she said, "You're the only one who's ever cared about me. You've always been nice to me and treated me with respect, and what do I do? I was mean to you. I hurt you. I can't hurt you, anymore. All I've been is a burden, to you and myself. I can't live like this, anymore! Everything will be better this way."

Mr. Peabody tried to take in all that she just said. He was terrified. His foster daughter, the child that he loved, was about to end her life. He had to save her.

"Josephine, you're not a burden. You've never been a burden. I...I know that you're in pain, and I want to help you. I want to help take that pain away. I don't want you to die." He swallowed, trying not to burst into tears. "Please, put down the knife. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."

Seeing him in tears surprised her. Mr. Peabody never cried, never showed fear. He was usually so calm and in control. Now, he was shaking, pleading, desperate.

"But I...I just make everything bad. Everything has been so bad. I'm bad. I don't deserve to live."

"Yes, you do! You're not bad. You're a very bright, wonderful girl. You've given me so much happiness, more than you know! I care about you and have since I started fostering you. I'd be devastated if you died. I love you."

"You...you really do?"

"Yes. I meant it the first time I said it, and I mean it now. You mean the world to me. Please."

The silence that transpired seemed to last for hours. Joey was deep in thought, trying to decide what to do. Mr. Peabody really loved her, loved her like she was his daughter. No one had ever said they loved her. No one had ever taken care of her like he had. Was it possible that she was worthy of love, of life? If he thought that she wasn't a horrible person who didn't deserve forgiveness, then maybe...

She set the knife down on the floor away from her.

Mr. Peabody sighed in relief and quickly ran to her and threw his arms around her. He held her tightly as they both cried. He kissed the top of her head, and she buried her face in his shoulder.

They stayed like that for many moments until they both lifted their heads. They looked at each other, both with red, teary eyes. "I'm sorry," she said.

"You don't have anything to be sorry about. I'm just glad you're alright."

She nodded.

They hugged, again.

Later, Joey got into bed, and Mr. Peabody read her to sleep, just as he had been doing every night, though, this time, his voice was still shaky and slightly choked up, but he tried his best to put her at ease. It worked, because soon she was asleep.

Mr. Peabody closed the book and put it on her nightstand. He got up and went around her bed. The knife that she had held to her wrist (and that had thankfully been unused) still lay on the floor. He picked it up by the handle and left the room, closing the door behind him.

He went into the dining room and wrapped the knife in a piece of cloth. Then, he threw it away.

He left the kitchen and went into the living room and plopped down on the couch and held his head in his hands. Only an hour ago, he had almost lost her. He had almost lost the most precious gift he had ever gotten. He felt guilty that he had not known sooner how much pain she had been in, but he knew that he couldn't have known. She was so secretive, even though he had told her that she could tell him anything. The important thing now, though, was that she was safe.


	7. Chapter 7

In the days that followed, Mr. Peabody took care to keep a very careful watch on Joey without her feeling scrutinized. He tried to make things back to normal, but coaxed her to always tell him if she was feeling depressed or if anything was wrong. She opened up a lot more and kept seeing a counselor and taking medicines.

A couple of months later, Mr. Peabody got another call from the school. He was asked to come there again. When he arrived, the counselor and principal told him that Joey had improved, greatly. Her grades were much better, and she rarely skipped class. She was more sociable and more outgoing, now. After Joey got out of school, Mr. Peabody told her what the counselor and principal had said, and he expressed to her that he was very proud of her. He had already known that she was getting much better by the way she acted at home. She even had a friend over for a sleepover one night. Life couldn't get any better. Well, almost.

Many months after the first day that Mr. Peabody brought Joey to his home to foster her, he sat down with her in the living room. "Josephine, I need to talk to you."

Joey looked extremely worried.

"You've been here for awhile-"

Joey looked away in emotional pain. "I know. I have to leave."

Mr. Peabody smiled, slightly. "No," he said with a small chuckle. "I wanted to ask you if you would like to stay here with me."

"You...you..."

"I want to adopt you, Josephine. I wanted to make sure that you would approve."

Tears rolled down her cheeks and she got up and threw her arms around him. "Yes! Yes!"

Mr. Peabody hugged her back. When they finished, he said, "Now, it will take awhile, but you will be able to stay here."

"Everything's going to be okay?"

"More than okay."

"So...does this mean I can call you 'Dad'?"

"No, you will still call me Mr. Peabody, but I am going to be your father." He smiled.

"I love you, Mr. Peabody."

"I love you, too, Josephine."

Joey felt relieved and overjoyed that she was going to have a new life, a life with a real family, a real home, and love. Mr. Peabody felt the same. They weren't alone in the world anymore; they had each other, and that's all they needed.


End file.
